The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) has revealed that the country recorded 54 gun-related violent incidents in the second quarter of 2025, showing a sharp rise compared to the previous quarter.
According to the Commission, Ashanti Region led with 21 incidents, followed by Eastern (8) and Upper East (7).
The Commission described the situation as alarming and called for urgent and practical measures to curb the proliferation of illicit firearms and strengthen gun control to protect citizens.
NACSA’s report highlighted that gun violence incidents were reported in 11 out of 16 regions, while Bono, Bono East, Savannah, Ahafo, and Upper West recorded no such incidents.
The findings also revealed that armed robbery (22 cases), murder (9 cases), violent clashes (8 cases), and unlawful firearms possession (7 cases) were the leading forms of gun-related crimes, collectively accounting for more than 85 percent of the incidents. Majority of weapons retrieved at crime scenes included pump action guns (20), pistols (10), and AK-47 rifles (3).
The Commission further disclosed that males were predominantly involved in the incidents, both as perpetrators (100 percent) and victims (78 percent), with 43 deaths recorded in the period, 39 of them being men.
NACSA emphasized that the increasing gun-related incidents and the weapons identified at crime scenes underscore the urgent need for a more robust legal framework on arms.
It therefore urged stakeholders, including lawmakers and civil society, to support the swift passage of the proposed National Arms Bill into law to strengthen the fight against gun violence.
